Floating rest (otherwise - water cabbage or floating crowd) is an aquatic perennial plant distributed in fresh water bodies (swamps, lakes, ditches, ponds) and tending to grow rapidly, especially in shallow water.
A regular in almost all reservoirs prefers to grow in running water, therefore he often lives in rivers. Floating rdest (photo can be seen in the article) tends to grow very much: the dense carpet of leaves formed by it often interferes with the movement of boats and small vessels. It is almost impossible to lime an acclimated aquatic inhabitant.
Float: Description
Fixing in the soil with branched tuberous roots, this grass releases long, unbranched shoots to the very surface of the water. When they die off, they fall to the bottom of reservoirs, where they decompose and turn into fertile sludge. Or they take root, giving life to a new plant. Individual stems can break off and exist independently. The surface of the plant is represented by leaves and inflorescences.
The leaves of the floating rdest are the next, have the most diverse form: from ovoid to wide elliptical. The edges are solid, toothed or curly-wavy. On a shiny, as if varnished sheet plate, the length of which is 8-12 cm with a width of 4-6 cm, parallel or arched veins are clearly visible. The underwater leaves are narrow, sessile, characterized by stiffness and are not preserved by the beginning of flowering in the summer period.
Spikelet inflorescences, consisting of an unremarkable greenish or marsh hue of flowers, are located on leafless legs and rise above the water at a distance of 5-10 cm.The fruits of the plant - nuts or drupes, ripen in August, float on the water surface and are carried by water over long distances.
Habitat
Floating rdest is able to grow further even when the reservoir is completely dry. The terrestrial form of the plant is characterized by heart-shaped leathery leaves located on the petioles.
It is found in natural conditions in Ukraine, Belarus, and the European territory of Russia. The rivers and ponds of North America, Japan, Scandinavia, China, the Balkan Peninsula and Central Asia are rich in such perennial grass.
Traditional medicine: the use of float
Floating rdest, containing in its composition a lot of useful substances, has anti-inflammatory, hemostatic, bactericidal properties and enhances immunity. The healing properties of an aquatic plant have been appreciated by physicians of antiquity. Traditional medicine today uses for medicinal purposes all of its parts, the procurement of which must be carried out from June to August.
Preparations based on float are used in the form of compresses and dressings in the treatment of skin diseases, ulcers, furunculosis, abscesses, itchy rashes and oncological tumors. The infusion of leaves and stems is used internally and helps with diarrhea. To prepare it in 1 cup boiling water for 2 hours, you need to insist 1 tbsp. a spoonful of dried grass. The resulting medicine is taken 3 times a day for a tablespoon.
An aquatic plant is not only beneficial to humans; its fruits and surface parts are an excellent food for insects, fish, mollusks and waterfowl. When cleaning water bodies, the green mass of the plant is used as fertilizer for fields and nutritious pet food.
Aquatic plant in home growing
Float in the aquarium is rare because of its own unattractiveness. Decorativeness of this kind is manifested when viewed from above, and the aquarium cover does not always allow you to enjoy a beautiful sight. Nevertheless, the floating restle can be successfully grown in spawning aquariums; it is there that the plant will serve as an excellent substrate for spawning of many species of fish. In addition, an aquatic plant perfectly replenishes water with oxygen, is able to grow at low temperatures and poor lighting, it can be planted as a landscape decoration in home ponds.
In order to avoid strong growth, it is recommended that the floating floating be restricted in growth: plant in a container and place them in a deep place. In winter, forming winter buds, it disappears and appears with the advent of spring as a new plant.
Float: growing conditions
The optimal conditions for the content of floating pond are water temperature + 23-30 о С, acidity - 7.0-8.0, hardness - 7-15. The soil should be silty, with a high percentage of clay.
Floating rest can be propagated by seeds and vegetatively: by cutting and dividing the bush. With the seed method, seeds need to be rolled up into clay lumps and immersed in muddy soil to a depth of 1 meter. In the vegetative method, the cut stalk with the load attached to it must be lowered to the bottom of the reservoir.
When dividing the rhizome, the latter must be cut into pieces, placed in peat pots, which, in turn, should be placed at the required depth in a special container. Soil composition for container:
- 15% clay;
- 15% coarse sand;
- 20% of leaf land;
- 50% sludge.
